Summary

The BBC has revealed the identity of Rose, a new character in the 60th-anniversary specials of Doctor Who, played by Yasmin Finney. Rose Noble is the daughter of Donna Noble, a returning companion, and Shaun Temple, portrayed by Karl Collins. Despite sharing a name with the beloved Rose Tyler, Finney’s Rose is a new character, and the show’s creators acknowledge the name’s legacy. Exciting times await with scares, laughs, and the debut of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.

The BBC recently unveiled the identity of Rose, a new character in the forthcoming 60th-anniversary specials of Doctor Who, a revelation eagerly awaited by fans. Yasmin Finney will play Rose Noble, the child of The Doctor’s returning companion, Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate. This news follows widespread speculation among fans after Finney’s casting was announced. Many believed that the new Rose would be Donna Noble’s daughter, named after the beloved Doctor Who companion, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), who traveled with the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth (David Tennant) Doctors. The BBC validated at least part of this theory by sharing a post on social media, confirming that Finney’s Rose is indeed the daughter of Donna and a new character, Shaun Temple, played by Karl Collins.

The official Doctor Who account posted, “Welcome to the #DoctorWho family, Rose Noble,” and also wished Yasmin Finney a happy birthday. The post teased an intriguing scenario:

“What happens when Rose meets one of her mum’s oldest friends? It is a mystery for now, but what we do know is that just like her mother, Rose stumbles across something alien – and from that point, her seemingly ordinary family is never quite the same.”

While Finney’s Rose is a new character and not a replacement for Rose Tyler, the shared name seemed more than a simple coincidence, particularly with the return of Russell T Davies as showrunner, the creator of Rose Tyler. In an interview with Elle before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Finney mentioned that she and the production team were fully aware of the name’s legacy in Doctor Who.

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Finney told Elle, “To play a character with such history, even just the name, you’ve got that pressure instantly… It’s a trans character as well, and it’s such a blessing to be able to play such a monumental character like Rose.”

Finney also gave a sneak peek into what fans could expect from the 60th-anniversary specials in November. She mentioned that the series would be “full of scares, full of laughs, full of all of it” and shared her excitement about acting alongside Ncuti Gatwa, who will debut as the Fifteenth Doctor in the 2023 Christmas Special.

The Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials will air in November, featuring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. Following the specials, Ncuti Gatwa will make his first full appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor in the 2023 Christmas Special, with Doctor Who Season 14 scheduled for 2024. Additionally, fans can enjoy new adventures featuring Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in the upcoming installment of Rose Tyler: The Dimension Cannon.